Process and a device for holding the end of the thread on straight knitting machines

ABSTRACT

A clamping mechanism for holding a cut end of thread out of engagement of the needles.

United States Patent [191 Krause et al.

Oct. 7, 1975 PROCESS AND A DEVICE FOR HOLDING THE END OFTHE THREAD ON STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Inventors: Erich Krause; Hans Schieber, both of Bopfingen, Germany Assignee: Universal Maschinenfabrik Dr.

Rudolf Schieber KG, Westhausen, Germany Filed: May 20, 1974 Appl. No.: 471,747

Foreign Application Priority Data May 21, 1973 Germany 2325747 US. Cl. 66/145 S Int. Cl. D04B 35/00 [58] Field of Search... 66/125, 126 R, 140 S, 145 S,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,560,484 7/1951 Schoenster 66/145 2,705,408 4/1955 Mehnert u 66/145 B X 2,844,016 7/1958 Cobert 66/145 B 3,188,835 6/1965 Mayer et al. 66/145 B Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaum Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak [5 7] ABSTRACT A clamping mechanism for holding a cut end of thread out of engagement of the needles.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 1 of5 3,910,073

Fig .1

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 3 of5 3,910,073

US. Patent ()ct. 7,1975 Sheet4 0f5 3,910,073

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 5 of5 3,910,073

PROCESS AND A DEVICE FOR HOLDING THE. END OF THE THREAD ONSTRAIGHTKNI'I'IING MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THEINVENT ION 1. Field of the Invention I The present invention relates to a process for holding the cut end of a thread away from the engagement zone of the needles on a straight knitting machine comprising a circulating carriage, the thread being drawn in an adjustable manner froma thread clamp on a thread guide being displaced above the needle boards. The invention also relates to a device for effecting this process. i q t t 2. Description of th'e Prior Art Onstraight knitting machines comprising circulating carriages the thread is. held fastin a thread clamp on i leaving the needle space of a pair of needle boards and thereafter cut off. Thus, when the thread to be worked subsequently reaches the next or opposite pair of needle boards, it is gripped andheld fast in the thread clamp. During the subsequent knitting operation the end of the thread is still gripped in the thread clamp when the first needle of the opposite pair of needles in the needle board has gripped the thread. As a result,

the end of the threadis drawn into the engagement SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a process and a simple device for holding the cut end of thread out of the engagementzoneof the needles,

which prevents wastage of material through knitting the cut end of the thread and with which the risk of damaging the tips of the needles by knitting the end ofv the thread is eliminated.

According to the invention this task is solved by means of a process of the type described initially in that the thread clamp for releasing the gripped end of the thread is adapted to be opened adjustably when at least the first needle has been knitted after the entry of the sliding carriage into the needle space and the freed end of the thread is sucked between the two knocking-over combs of the needle boards.

It is advantageous for the position for releasing the end of the thread in the needle space of the machine to be adjustable from needle to needle.

A device according to the invention for affecting the above-mentioned process is constructed in the following way: there are provided on each of the needle boards a wedge for opening a thread clamp attached to the thread guide nut, this clamp being designed to grip the cut end of the thread. and at least two suction nozzles disposed between the two knocking over combs of the needle boards. The wedge may advantageously be adjusted from needle to needle so that the releasing of the thread can be made to correspond exactly to the width of'the particular knitted article.

The suctionmozzle are also advantageously adjust Other objects features and advantagesof the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof which is provided with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a diagrammatic side view of a straight knit-i ting machine with a circular carriage having incorporated in the machine a device according to the invention-forholding away the' end of theethread.

FIG. 2 is a. diagrammatic plan view of the straight knitting machine according to FIG. 1..

F IG., 3 is a diagrammatic front view of a thread clamp gripping the thread. 1

FIG-4 is a side view of the'thread clamp in the direction of the arrow IV in FIG. 3.

FIG.5 is a front view according to FIG. 3 showing the thread being tied off by the first needle and a switching lever abutting against a wedge to open the thread clamp.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the thread clamp in the direc tion of the arrow VI in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7'is a front view according to FIG. 3 showing the thread .clamp open, .and

FIG. 8 is a side view of the thread clamp in the direction of the arrow 8 in FIG. 7 showing the end of the thread sucked into a suction nozzle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED I EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrammatic side and plan views of a straight knitting'machine with a circulating carriage and having incorporated therein a device for holding the cut end of the thread away from the engagement zone of the needles. One or mo're carriages which are not represented move in the direction of the arrow D along the turning arc of the straight knitting machine to reach the oppositely disposed pairs of me dle boards with the needle zones 13 and 13a. A suction nozzle 6 and 6a is provided between the two needle boards of each pair of needle boards at the beginning of each needle zone 13 and 13a in the direction of movement of the carriage. The suction nozzles 6 and 6a are each connected to a central vacuum producing unit 12 and may be adjusted within the needle zone 13 and 13a in the direction of movement of the carriage to adjust them to the different widths of the knitted articles.

The course of the process according to the invention will now be described in connection with FIGS. 3-8 which represent various stages of the process of clamping and releasing a thread end.

A thread I is drawn from a spool and is supplied via a thread guide nut 2 to the needles in the needle boards in the region of the needle zones 13 and 13a for the purpose of being worked. When a row has been knitted, that is, when leaving the needle zone 13a, the thread 1 is cut off in a manner known per se and is gripped by a thread clamp 3 attached to the thread guide nut 2. A switching lever 4 is attached to the I thread clamp 3. The switching lever 4 is provided with a wedge which can be pushed between the two jaws of the thread clamp to spread apart the jaws of the thread clamp 3 and thus to release the thread held by this clamp.

After the cut thread has been gripped in the thread clamp 3, the carriage which is not represented, after leaving, for example, the needle zone 13a traverses the turning arc of the knitting machine in the direction of the arrow D to reach the opposite pair of needle boards with the needle zone 13. During the movement of the carriage, the thread clamp 3 attached to the thread guide nut 2 moves in the direction of the arrow B shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 8.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a position of the thread clamp 3 in which this is disposed, for example, over the turning arc, and is gripping the thread 1. In the course of the movement in the direction of the arrow B the thread clamp 3 reaches the position at the beginning of the needle zone 13 or 13a which is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. At this point, the thread guide means comprising the thread guide nut 2 and the thread clamp 3 attached thereto pass over a suction nozzle 6 in which an air current in the direction of the arrow C is being produced. The thread 1 is now gripped by a first needle 7 and entangled. A bolt 8 of the switching lever 4 abuts against the inclined portion of a wedge 9 which is provided on the needle board and which is adjustable in the region of the suction nozzle 6 which is also adjustable, the wedge 9 being precisely adjusted in relation to the first needle 7. In the position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the thread clamp 3 is still gripping the end 10 of the thread 1.

After another movement in the direction of the arrow B, the thread clamp 3 reaches the position shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. As it is moved forwards, the switching lever 4 pivots upwards on the wedge 9, moves its wedge 5 between the jaws of the thread clamp 3 and spreads these apart as is clearly represented in FIG. 7. This causes the thread guide 3 to release the thread end 10 which is sucked by the air current in the direction of the arrow C into the suction nozzle 6 and thus held away from the engagement zone of the needles.

As the knitting operation continues, the thread end is pulled out of the suction nozzle 6 as the knit is pulled down when the article is pulled over an edge 11 of the suction nozzle 6. This ensures that after the cut thread end has been gripped by the first needle, when the carriage enters the needle zone 13 or 13a, and the thread clamp 3 has been released, the cut end is gripped in such a way that it is not knitted into the knitted article.

What is claimed is:

1. In a process for holding a cut thread end away from the engagement zone of the needles in a straight knitting machine having a circulating carriage, the thread being drawn in an adjustable manner from a thread clamp on a thread guide which is displaced over the needle boards, the improvement comprising: the thread clamp being adjustably opened to release the clamped thread end when at least the first needle has become entangled on the entry of the carriage into the needle zone and the released thread end is sucked between the two knocking-over combs of the needle board.

2. A process according to claim 1, characterized in that the position for releasing the thread end in the needle zone of the machine may be adjusted from needle to needle.

3. In a device for holding a cut thread end away from the engagement zone of the needles in a straight knitting machine having a circulating carriage wherein the thread is drawn in an adjustable manner from a thread clamp on a thread guide which is displaced over the needle boards, the needle boards having a plurality of knocking-over combs, the improvement comprising: each of said needle boards being provided with a wedge for opening the thread clamp, said thread clamp being attached to a thread guide nut, said thread clamp holding the cut thread end, and at least two suction nozzles between the plurality of knocking-over combs of the needle board.

4. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the wedge (9) may be adjusted from needle to needle.

5. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the suction nozzles (5, 6a) are adjustable relative to the needle zone (13, 13a).

6. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that, the suction nozzle (6, 6a) are connected to a central vacuum producing unit (12). 

1. In a process for holding a cut thread end away from the engagement zone of the needles in a straight knitting machine having a circulating carriage, the thread being drawn in an adjustable manner from a thread clamp on a thread guide which is displaced over the needle boards, the improvement comprising: the thread clamp being adjustably opened to release the clamped thread end when at least the first needle has become entangled on the entry of the carriage into the needle zone and the released thread end is sucked between the two knocking-over combs of the needle board.
 2. A process according to claim 1, characterized in that the position for releasing the thread end in the needle zone of the machine may be adjusted from needle to needle.
 3. In a device for holding a cut thread end away from the engagement zone of the needles in a straight knitting machine having a circulating carriage wherein the thread is drawn in an adjustable manner from a thread clamp on a thread guide which is displaced over the needle boards, the needle boards having a plurality of knocking-over combs, the improvement comprising: each of said needle boards being provided with a wedge for opening the thread clamp, said thread clamp being attached to a thread guide nut, said thread clamp holding the cut thread end, and at least two suction nozzles between the plurality of knocking-over combs of the needle board.
 4. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the wedge (9) may be adjusted from needle to needle.
 5. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the suction nozzles (5, 6a) are adjustable relative to the needle zone (13, 13a).
 6. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that, the suction nozzle (6, 6a) are connected to a central vacuum producing unit (12). 